Saturday 29 June 2024
Friday 28 June 2024
Somewhere near the MB-SK Border
Photographed on June 16, 2024.
Steve Boyko
Thursday 27 June 2024
Abandoned near Harmsworth
This old house is a little bigger than the usual abandoned farm house! I photographed it from the road - no trespassing.
I like the detail around peaked dormer window. The roof looks pretty good from this side - a "fixer upper"?
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Tuesday 25 June 2024
Why do parallel bars never meet? Because no one introduced them.
Still making attempts to walk with the assistance of a walker. Best today is thirty-six feet. I asked the physiotherapist if I could try the parallel bars. I was not allowed to walk as the physiotherapist said I am not far enough along. I said I just wanted to stand and try it out. One day I will be trying this equipment. I marked the occasion with a photo.
Monday 24 June 2024
Davidson, Saskatchewan
From my point of view, not only does it have a wooden grain elevator (and two concrete ones), it serves as the end of the Last Mountain Railway and the start of the CN Craik subdivision up to Saskatoon.
Steve Boyko
Saturday 22 June 2024
Some news
My stay in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital has been extended to August 8th from July 5th. I have another follow up with my surgeon on June 26 at the University of Alberta Hospital, my last one was on May 15. Some x-rays will be taken and my doctor will update me on how I have been healing and how I am progressing.
I am damn happy to have my stay extended. I am making progress and I have been pushing myself however I know that I was not going to be ready to be discharged on July 5th. I have not progressed enough. On Thursday I pushed myself to walk thirty-three feet in the walker, my longest distance yet. I felt damn good. On Friday I was hampered by pain all day and could not gather the strength to try walking after I did the other exercises. The pain was too much. There is no physio on the weekend so I am going to take some time to heal and throw myself back into it on Monday.
As I said, I am ecstatic to stay here longer. I do not want to be in the hospital but on the other hand I want to squeeze every bit of help and healing I can from this place before leaving.
I have a few friends who have contributed some posts for this blog for which I am grateful. I have nothing to post other than my experiences being in the hospital. I hope to change that one day. For now, this blog gives me a bit of an outlet while I am here and I appreciate you sticking with me.
Wednesday 19 June 2024
Sunday 16 June 2024
Saturday 15 June 2024
Quick note
As per my last post I just started the process to get back walking.
My Wednesday results were posted in the last post. Thursday I could barely manage five feet in total. My left ankle was really bothering me and my left knee was weak. That day was a disappointment.
Friday, yesterday, I had time in physio for two attempts. Both were eighteen feet.
No physio on the weekend, it resumes Monday. For the weekend I am doing some homework, otherwise known as some exercises my therapist asked me to do, and being careful not to overdo it.
Wednesday 12 June 2024
More progress
Not long after the accident I got a look at myself and I quietly cried. I had horrible bruises on my feet, a bruise under my eye, cuts in my scalp, fractured ribs, a fractured wrist, and shattered femurs held together by external fixators. I was a mess and I was awaiting a fourth operation to put my legs back together.
Today in my physio session I did two attempts at walking in a straight line with the aid of a walker with a physiotherapist on either side. This was scary. I did eight feet on the first attempt. I did twenty feet on the second attempt. The two attempts wore me out. After the session I found a quiet spot in the hospital as I could feel tears welling in my eyes. It is so hard going from feeling completely broken to feeling like you might just make it back.
Monday 10 June 2024
Goodbye Jim
Saturday 8 June 2024
Thursday 6 June 2024
Stories
There are lots of stories posted in various places in the hospital. You stop and read them and find yourself in awe of what some people have been through.
The text on the poster says:
“A semi hauling two combines hit her vehicle. She was thrown six hundred feet and trapped for two hours. She did not want her accident to win.
Rehabilitation helped her regain independence, live on her own and walk again.”
Monday 3 June 2024
Monday notes
Since I have been cleared to put weight on my legs they have been doubling up on my physiotherapy. I am in physio from one to three five days a week.
When they have me standing it is in a walker. I pull myself up and stand in the walker without help. I am good for about two minutes at a time. I am stationary. I can pick up either foot to reposition them, not well, but I can do it. I then sit down and repeat the process. The most I have done it is five times in a row. I have little strength in my knees and my thighs. I need that strength back to proceed further.
My knees do not bend at ninety degrees. I am getting closer. Not that long ago I could barely bend them.
I woke up today feeling okay. Until I moved my legs. Then the pain hit. I took some painkillers and I am waiting for them to take effect while I sit here in pain. The pain is horrible. Unfortunately you have to get off your ass and try to attack the day. The only other choice is to give up.
Sunday 2 June 2024
Some good news
My auto insurance company formally declared the other driver to be at fault. As a result my deductible is being reimbursed so I have five hundred dollars coming my way. It only took them over three months to acknowledge what was obvious, the other party drove into me. That happened Friday afternoon.
Also on Friday I heard from my group health insurer. My claim for long term disability was approved. One less thing to be worried about, not that I was concerned. With the application there was a copy of the police report and doctor’s notes so there is no doubt about me being injured and disabled.